This invention relates to munitions employed for training and tactical purposes more particularly, the present invention relates to novel small arms, mortar and canon caliber munitions including a flameless tracer containing chemiluminescent chemicals capable of providing flight path trace and site identification.
In both military and non-military organizations, it has been common practice in training and tactical exercises to employ materials capable of providing a visible trace of a projectile""s trajectory after firing from a weapon, so assuring that the projectile has been delivered to its desired target site and its flight path traced from gun tube to target. The tracer is required to be seen by the observer either during daylight or night time. The pyrotechnic compositions employed as tracers in such applications are typically loaded into the back end of the projectile and are made of pyrotechnic materials that burn and create light. After the projectile (round) is fired from the weapon, the tracer ignites (burns) and a visible light can be seen as the projectile travels to its target. The gunner and/or observer can actually see the trace of the projectile flight and, subsequently, adjusts the weapon so that the next round fired can impact the desired target location. Pyrotechnic compositions suitable for such purpose may be chosen from among those well known in the art such as strontium nitrate, magnesium powder, potassium nitrate, barium nitrate and the like.
Although such prior art methods have met with some degree of success, workers in the art have encountered certain difficulties. Thus, for example, tracer ammunition has frequently resulted in fires on training ranges which have been attributed to energetic material tracers contacting and burning surrounding brush and other ground material. This causes additional costs to be incurred in extinguishing the fires while interrupting training exercises. Furthermore, training exercises must be extended to replace time lost, thereby incurring more manpower costs. Additionally, tracers in current projectiles contain materials which are enviromentally unfriendly and often pose environmental hazards to training areas due to their toxic emissions into the atmosphere and as a result of such materials leaching into ground water. Still further, tracer materials commonly in use must be transported and the pyrotechnic nature and explosive properties add significant costs.
Recently, a new development in the preparation of powdered chemiluminescent materials meeting U.S. Army requirements occurred as a result of private research by the Omniglow Corporation of West Springfield, Massachusetts. These materials were obtained by mixing an oxalate ester in powdered form with a liquid peroxide to form a light emitting slurry. These chemiluminescent materials have been found suitable for use in tracer applications as well as for identifying and marking a target area with visible and/or infrared light sources. The materials so obtained are similar to conventional chemiluminescents, however, certain ingredients and manufacturing techniques were developed by them working in conjunction with the inventors herein to obtain the capability of long duration and high light intensity tracing and marking capability not available heretofore. The oxalate component employed was in powdered form which when mixed with a liquid peroxide yielded a non-toxic slurry which was found to be non-flammable and biodegradable.
The physical form of the chemiluminescent materials employed herein accounts for several advantages over the prior art, so permitting new applications. Thus, for example, the powdered form of chemiluminescent permits long term storage of materials without leakage. These compositions can readily be contained in a projectile, the powder being surrounded by one or more vials of liquid. Upon gun launch, the chemicals mix, so creating light and a trace of the path of the projectile which breaks apart at which time the material is scattered on the target area. This action effectively marks the target area with greater light intensity and for longer durations than those attainable using standard all liquid chemiluminescent chemical systems. The primary limitation with the all liquid systems has been that upon dispersal to the environment such as a ground or target impact area, the liquid chemicals tend to be absorbed by the impacted materials such as dirt, fabric, plants and the like. In marked contrast thereto, the described composition which is in the form of a powdered slurry when fully mixed is not absorbed into these impacted materials and is not miscible in water. Accordingly, these compositions will mark wet locations with ease. This is a significant advance in the art since it was common for the liquid chemiluminescent materials to be easily washed away, or, alternatively, react with the oxygen in the air, thereby limiting light output duration. The described compositions include components which preclude reaction with oxygen, so permitting marking of an area with longer and greater light intensity, so suggesting their use for marking, illuminating, training and site identification applications.
In order to fully appreciate the wide range of applications of the instant invention, the following environments have been found suitable:
(1) As an environmentally friendly tracer in projectiles using powdered chemiluminescent infrared and/or visible light source.
(2) As a flameless tracer in projectiles using powdered chemiluminescent infrared and/or visible light source which will not start fires.
(3) Projectiles containing powdered chemiluminescent chemicals can be used to identify and mark a target(ground location, enemy equipment or vehicles) with a chemiluminescent infrared light and/or visible light source of long duration and durability after impact and deposition of the chemiluminescent slurry on the object, so permitting identification of impact areas.
(4) Missiles and smart munitions which contain infrared seeking sensors can home in on an identified (chemiluminescent marked) target and thereby guide a munition to its target.
(5) Chemiluminescent light sources, visible and infrared, delivered by projectiles can be used to illuminate caves, equipment, booby traps, enemy vehicles, projectile impact areas and personnel. The chemiluminescent material is not flammable and will not ignite any dangerous explosive gases inside a cave. Infrared light source provided by these materials allows personnel to look into a cave with infrared (night vision) detection devices to a much greater depth than attained hereto fore. Current night detection devices are only capable of detecting temperature differences. Booby traps which are deeply embedded in a cave and would be at the same temperature as the cave would not be detected by night vision devices without marking with an infrared chemiluminescent chemical projectile.
(6) Directing a unit in battle to concentrate their projectiles into a marked area. This area would be marked by visible and/or infrared chemiluminescent light when dispersed from a projectile. This visual signal is an effective method to get the attention of soldiers during battle because battle noise interferes with communication. In this manner, the fighting unit is more efficient in defeating an enemy.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to fabricate novel tracer and marker ammunition including chemiluminescent materials capable upon mixture of creating intense displays visible over long ranges after gun launch.
It is also an object of the present invention to obtain an improved method for manufacturing tracer ammunition which is environmentally friendly and which imposes no burdensome shipping restrictions.
In accordance with the present invention, these prior art limitations have been effectively obviated by means of a novel flameless tracer and marker. More specifically, the invention involves the fabrication of a flameless tracer and marker for small munitions and canon caliber projectiles including non-toxic, non flammable, non-energetic, environmentally friendly chemiluminescent chemicals which are maintained in separate compartments or in a single compartment until light is needed.